"McCain, NOT the candidate of change, says no to Boxer-L-W without giga-subsidies for nukes"

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McCain said tonight he is the candidate of change. How is billions of dollars in subsidies to build hundreds of nuclear power plants change?

Here is everything you need to know about McCain’s understanding of both energy and climate issues: He doesn’t care enough about the climate to support even a so-so bill like Boxer-Lieberman-Warner unless their are giga-subsidies for nukes beyond the $100 billion or so the industry has received to date.

Q: Can you tell us your position on the Lieberman-Warner climate change bill?

JOHN MCCAIN: Yeah. I still have not seen in the Warner Lieberman bill, the emphasis and the way to facilitate nuclear power into active operation and use in the United States of America. That’s my concern about Warner Lieberman. And I feel that nuclear power is such a vital aspect of any real meaningful action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions that I have withheld support for it, because I really want to see, and I am told there will be some amendments on the floor, that will dramatically increase the nuclear component of it. So far, it’s not enough for me.

Nuclear is, right now, among the most expensive zero-carbon options, with new generation coming in at $6,000 to $8000 per kilowatt, which would generate electricity for $o.15 a kilowatt hour, which is about 50% higher than current US electricity prices (see “The Self-Limiting Future of Nuclear Power, Part 1“).

A mature technology, with 20% market share and $100 billion in subsidies since 1948 whose liability in case of a major accident is limited by federal law (with the full liability burden falling on taxpayers) hardly deserves more subsidies.